Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (532 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Deacetylated chitin, a linear polysaccharide of deacetylated beta-1,4-D-glucosamine. It is used in hydrogel and to treat wounds.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Poliglusam.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Chitin
Related concepts
- Chitin
- Hydrogel
- Wounds
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 38,983 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Chitosan” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 18,882 of them (48.4%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 18,882 records.
Reviews account for 1,937 records (5.0%) and meta-analyses for 29. Randomized controlled trials number 178 (0.5%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 0 |
| 2000-2009 | 4,738 |
| 2010-2019 | 15,398 |
| 2020 onward | 18,882 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,937 | 5.0% |
| Meta-analyses | 29 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 178 | 0.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Chitosan"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alginate and chitosan-coated ferulic acid-loaded selenium nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 11 | cc by PMID 40325268 · DOI · PMC12053028 |
| Chitosan activates NLRP3 inflammasome and cGAS-STING to suppress cancer progression through hexokinase 2 dissociation and mitochondrial dysfunction | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 9 | cc by PMID 40860135 · DOI · PMC12374619 |
| Recent Applications of Chitosan-Based Biomaterials as Wound Dressings | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 9 | cc by PMID 41751771 · DOI · PMC12941076 |
Alginate and chitosan-coated ferulic acid-loaded selenium nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by its aggressive behavior and lack of targeted therapies, remains a major therapeutic challenge.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings highlight the therapeutic promise of biopolymer-coated SeNPs, particularly alginate-coated formulations, as targeted drug delivery systems for TNBC.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (141 words)
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by its aggressive behavior and lack of targeted therapies, remains a major therapeutic challenge. This study presents the synthesis and evaluation of ferulic acid-loaded selenium nanoparticles (FA-SeNPs) coated with alginate (Alg@FA-SeNPs) and chitosan (CS@FA-SeNPs) as potential nanocarriers for TNBC treatment. Ferulic acid was selected for its pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic properties, despite its limited bioavailability. Encapsulation in SeNPs enhanced its stability and delivery efficiency. Alg@FA-SeNPs exhibited greater cytotoxicity (IC50: 103.6 µg/mL) than CS@FA-SeNPs (IC50: 178 µg/mL) after 48 h. Gene expression analyses showed significant H2AX upregulation with Alg@FA-SeNPs, indicating genotoxic stress, and marked Bcl-2 downregulation with CS@FA-SeNPs, favoring apoptosis. Zeta potential measurements confirmed near-neutral surface charge for Alg@FA-SeNPs and strong positive charge for CS@FA-SeNPs, supporting good colloidal stability. These findings highlight the therapeutic promise of biopolymer-coated SeNPs, particularly alginate-coated formulations, as targeted drug delivery systems for TNBC.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40325268 · DOI · PMC12053028
Chitosan activates NLRP3 inflammasome and cGAS-STING to suppress cancer progression through hexokinase 2 dissociation and mitochondrial dysfunction [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Background: Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide with known immunostimulatory potential, has shown promise in cancer therapy.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings support chitosan's potential as a multifunctional immunoadjuvant for improving immunotherapy in resistant cancers.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (224 words)
Background: Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide with known immunostimulatory potential, has shown promise in cancer therapy. However, its direct role in modulating antitumor immunity and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore how unmodified chitosan influences tumor progression and immune responses through innate immune signaling pathways. Methods: Murine tumor models (CT26, B16-F10) were used to evaluate the antitumor effects of chitosan in vivo. Flow cytometry and histological analyses assessed changes in immune cell infiltration. Primary macrophages and gene knockout models were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms, including inflammasome activation, mitochondrial function, and hexokinase 2 (HK2) location, via ELISA, western blotting, mitochondrial assays. Results: Chitosan treatment suppressed tumor growth and metastasis, while promoting infiltration of neutrophils, monocytes, and activated T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, chitosan and its bioactive degradation product, N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), induced the dissociation of HK2 from mitochondria, triggering mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS overproduction, and mtDNA release. These signals jointly activated both the NLRP3 inflammasome and the cGAS-STING pathway. The antitumor effect of chitosan was attenuated in Nlrp3 -/- and Sting -/- mice, confirming the essential roles of both pathways. Conclusions: Chitosan orchestrates dual activation of NLRP3 and cGAS-STING signaling via HK2 dissociation and mitochondrial dysfunction, reprogramming the tumor immune microenvironment and enhancing antitumor immunity. These findings support chitosan's potential as a multifunctional immunoadjuvant for improving immunotherapy in resistant cancers.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40860135 · DOI · PMC12374619
Recent Applications of Chitosan-Based Biomaterials as Wound Dressings [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Chitosan is a natural biopolymer for advanced wound healing due to its antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, and hemostatic properties.
- Closing excerpt
- However, overcoming challenges associated with material diversity and establishing standardized manufacturing processes and clinical trials remain critical for successful commercialization.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (167 words)
Chitosan is a natural biopolymer for advanced wound healing due to its antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, and hemostatic properties. However, its clinical utility is limited by its low solubility and poor mechanical properties. This review summarizes recent strategies that have successfully overcome these shortcomings, focusing on the development of multifunctional chitosan hybrid dressings. These dressings, which include hydrogels, hydrocolloids, films, sponges, and scaffolds, are now being fabricated using advanced systems like electrospinning, 3D printing, microneedle (MN), and nanocomposites technologies to maximize wound healing efficacy. Specifically, modification techniques used to overcome chitosan's shortcomings include: (1) chemical derivatization to enhance solubility, (2) polymer hybridization with natural and synthetic materials to enhance mechanical properties, and (3) functionalization with active ingredients. These materials, including metal/inorganic nanoparticles, natural compounds, and amino acids, are added to maximize therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, chitosan hybrid materials and dressings provide an excellent foundation for next-generation wound dressings. However, overcoming challenges associated with material diversity and establishing standardized manufacturing processes and clinical trials remain critical for successful commercialization.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41751771 · DOI · PMC12941076
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid and other novel multifunctional hydrogel dressings for wound healing: A review [4]
- Research article Chitosan-based self-healing hydrogel dressing for wound healing [5]
- Research article Chitosan-based hydrogel wound dressing: From mechanism to applications, a review [6]
- Research article Smart stimuli-responsive chitosan hydrogel for drug delivery: A review [7]
- Research article Chitosan-Based Hemostatic Hydrogels: The Concept, Mechanism, Application, and Prospects [8]
- Research article Chitosan scaffolds: Expanding horizons in biomedical applications [9]
References
- Çetin DP, Seçme M, İlhan H, Sağlam N. Alginate and chitosan-coated ferulic acid-loaded selenium nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. . 2025. PMID 40325268 · DOI · PMC12053028
- Li L, You L, Bi Z, Zhang Z, Ying B, Luo M, et al.. Chitosan activates NLRP3 inflammasome and cGAS-STING to suppress cancer progression through hexokinase 2 dissociation and mitochondrial dysfunction. . 2025. PMID 40860135 · DOI · PMC12374619
- Jin SG. Recent Applications of Chitosan-Based Biomaterials as Wound Dressings. . 2026. PMID 41751771 · DOI · PMC12941076
- Yuan N, Shao K, Huang S, Chen C. Chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid and other novel multifunctional hydrogel dressings for wound healing: A review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2023. PMID 37019198 · DOI
- Zhang X, Liang Y, Huang S, Guo B. Chitosan-based self-healing hydrogel dressing for wound healing. Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2024. PMID 39121832 · DOI
- Zhao J, Qiu P, Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhou J, Zhang B, et al.. Chitosan-based hydrogel wound dressing: From mechanism to applications, a review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2023. PMID 37307982 · DOI
- Tian B, Liu J. Smart stimuli-responsive chitosan hydrogel for drug delivery: A review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2023. PMID 36871689 · DOI
- Fan P, Zeng Y, Zaldivar-Silva D, Agüero L, Wang S. Chitosan-Based Hemostatic Hydrogels: The Concept, Mechanism, Application, and Prospects. Molecules. 2023. PMID 36771141 · DOI · PMC9921727
- Gholap AD, Rojekar S, Kapare HS, Vishwakarma N, Raikwar S, Garkal A, et al.. Chitosan scaffolds: Expanding horizons in biomedical applications. Carbohydr Polym. 2024. PMID 37940287 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.